Macquarie Telecom has welcomed the Government’s cyber security strategy as a crucial tool to raise the awareness of all Australians of the need to make basic cyber security practice routine. The strategy recognises that lifting the standard of national cyber security is a multi-facetted, multi-disciplinary task that Australians must approach as a team.

This will require greater investment in skills and education, and tools to assist organisations understand and defend against cyber security risks and threats, all of which the strategy promotes. “It crucial that the Government provides this type of leadership, but it is in businesses, government agencies and non-profit organisations that the cyber security rubber hits the road,” Macquarie Telecom Managing Director, Government and Hosting, Aidan Tudehope, said.

“However, some of these organisations still appear to be running on flat tyres. It remains an on-going challenge for some smaller Government agencies to implement security measures the basic Top 4 ‘hygiene’ measures urged on them by the government’s own experts.” Mr Tudehope said.

“In the private sector, the situation is still more uneven among medium sized businesses.” Mr Tudehope said he believed the problem was that too many senior managers and boards did not yet understand they had to take personal responsibility for cyber security strategies.

“Macquarie Telecom, provides Secure Internet Gateway services to more than a third of government agencies, and has 23 years experience providing services to mid-sized corporate customers. “We have a unique up-close view on how well the cyber security message is getting through, and all too often failing to reach senior levels of medium sized organisations.

“This is leaving them vulnerable, in some cases simply because resources are not being devoted to put easily implemented defences in place,” Mr Tudehope said. It was now up to the senior management of these organisations to respond to the important messages in the cyber security statement by taking ownership of the issue, and effectively manage their cyber security strategies, Mr Tudehope said.
For more information contact David Forman 0438121114

About the author.

Aidan is co-founder of Macquarie Telecom Group and has been a director since 1992. He is the Managing Director of Macquarie Government & Hosting Group and is invested in leading the contribution from the Australian industry on all matters Cloud & Cyber policy related.